In his youth, Setsuna had been a leading figure of the Uchiha clan, and the network of connections he had accumulated was already intricate and far-reaching. Once this man spoke, the other Jonin, Chunin, and even the Genin who had only recently become ninjas began to applaud. They all spoke well of Kiyoshi.
"I knew this kid would make something of himself. I hope my Shisui can achieve something similar in the future," Terumi Uchiha remarked as he looked at Kiyoshi. His son, Shisui, would be old enough to enter the Academy in a few years. He hoped the boy would be as much of a genius as Kiyoshi Uchiha by then.
"One should have a son like Kiyoshi," some of the older generation Uchiha noted. Kiyoshi was an outsider Uchiha; that was an undeniable fact. But Kiyoshi's talent was equally undeniable.
Within the Uchiha clan, which worshipped the strong, the influence of Kiyoshi's birthplace was gradually diminishing. This meant that Kiyoshi was truly beginning to integrate into the Uchiha. Those who had once looked down on him or discriminated against him were beginning to see him in a new light.
Kiyoshi wore a smile on his face, saying, "I am honored by your kind words." Inwardly, however, he felt no stirrings of emotion. It was merely human nature.
He looked toward a man with a large nose named Terumi Uchiha. Terumi's father was the famous Kagami Uchiha. And his son would be even more extraordinary; he would be one of the fuses leading to the destruction of the Uchiha. Shisui Uchiha!
Kiyoshi had seen Shisui a few times in the clan, but the boy was so young that his mother was still the one taking care of him. Young Shisui's childhood could be described as fairly good, but unfortunately, Terumi Uchiha would later become disabled with a broken leg and plagued by illness.
His mother had little earning capacity either. The heavy burden of the family fell entirely on Shisui, who went out to earn money to support the family at a young age. One could call him normal or even a filial son at that point.
Unfortunately, after being exposed to the "Will of Fire," this fellow became as obsessed as Itachi. He loved to favor outsiders over his own kin. Kiyoshi hoped Shisui would change this time. Otherwise, Kiyoshi wouldn't mind killing Shisui himself. If he did change, he could be taken in as a subordinate and brainwashed into a thug.
Afterward, Fugaku raised several other issues. As the night deepened, this secret meeting finally drew to a close.
"Kiyoshi, just how did you become so strong?" Tekka Uchiha came over to ask. Even Inabi Uchiha, who was slightly older than Tekka, followed along. They were shocked that Kiyoshi could achieve such heights.
Everyone had the same red eyes, one nose, and one mouth. They received the same education. How could there be such a vast difference in strength?
"Do you know what village looks like at four o'clock every morning?" Kiyoshi said calmly.
The assistance of the Trait System was only one aspect; what was also required was Kiyoshi's own sweat and effort. Without his hard work, how would the Trait panel trigger rewards? Therefore, Kiyoshi never slacked in his training.
Perhaps because his vitality was so robust, Kiyoshi's energy was also very high, allowing him to put ample energy into his cultivation every day.
Of course, four o'clock was a bit of an exaggeration. He usually woke up at eight.
"Four o'clock in the morning?" Mikoto, who was passing by, heard their conversation and covered her mouth with her small hand. She knew Kiyoshi worked hard, but she never imagined he was this dedicated.
"A promising talent," Fugaku commented.
"Mikoto, you should interact more with Kiyoshi from now on. Since he has no bonds within the Uchiha, you should become his first bond. A sibling-like affection is also quite good," Fugaku said as he walked with Mikoto amidst the crowd filing out.
"A bond..." Mikoto pursed her lips.
She feared that what Kiyoshi sought was more than just a sibling bond. But Mikoto did not say those words aloud. Fugaku still needed Kiyoshi.
She didn't feel any aversion toward Kiyoshi either; her impression of him was quite good. If they were to continue interacting, then so be it.
Of course, the kind of close physical contact they had this afternoon was strictly out of the question. The blurry image of the giant beast's back surfaced in Mikoto's mind. One could only describe it as very majestic.
Fugaku glanced at Mikoto, not understanding the context. Finding the tips of her ears flushed and her gaze lowered, he couldn't help but smile. Mikoto was a traditional woman.
Both of them strictly followed etiquette and had never crossed a single line. Even now, just walking with him made Mikoto flush and act as shy as a little girl. It seemed he must not fail Mikoto. Fugaku decided that once the war ended, he would definitely give Mikoto an answer.
"Let's go," Fugaku urged.
"Mm." Mikoto snapped back to reality. She saw the usually stern Fugaku smiling. Mikoto thought for a while but couldn't figure out the reason.
...
The war continued as always. The periods of reprieve were always short. The flames of war burned everywhere. Every day people died, and others made a name for themselves in these battles.
The fame of the Yellow Flash was growing more and more intense; some hidden villages even stipulated that if one saw Minato Namikaze, they could abandon their mission.
During this time, Kiyoshi silently accumulated power.
Inside the laboratory.
Kiyoshi scanned the Trait panel. During this period, he had gained one Purple Trait, one Blue Trait, and two Green Traits. The effect of the Purple Trait was very powerful, allowing him to make rapid progress in refining "Dark Medical Ninjutsu" and researching the power of Moryo.
[[Medical Jonin (Purple)]] Trait
Requirement: Complete the training of 2 A-rank Medical Ninjutsu.
Progress: (Completed).
Effect: Your attainment in Medical Ninjutsu has reached a high level; the speed of learning knowledge and developing Medical Ninjutsu is accelerated. Your Yang Release chakra will increase by a small amount. Your hands will be more agile and steady than ordinary people, increasing the surgical success rate by 100%. Your training in Medical Ninjutsu will increase by 100% on its original basis.
Note: Further advancement is possible.]
The remaining one Blue and two Green Traits were also quite good.
[Wild Instinct (Blue)]: No matter when or where, even while sleeping, you can react to hostile attacks, performing basic evasions. Your sense of smell is improved to some extent.
[Gentle and Refined (Green)]: Your smile gives off a sense of affinity; when you smile, it makes people feel like they are bathing in a spring breeze.
[[Body Flicker Mastery (Green)]]: Your mastery of the [Body Flicker Technique] is better than others; the chakra consumed is reduced by 10%.
"Heh heh, Kiyoshi, you are indeed here?" Orochimaru walked in from outside.
This was the laboratory Nonō had specifically applied for on Kiyoshi's behalf before she left. But it was very simple for Orochimaru to find the location. Since Nonō Yakushi had departed, Orochimaru's actions had become much bolder.
He had dumped a portion of his own research projects onto Kiyoshi. To Orochimaru's surprise, Kiyoshi could actually keep up with his experimental progress. This once again proved his suspicion: Kiyoshi was qualified to be his best assistant!
"Lord Orochimaru," Kiyoshi said after seeing who had arrived.
"Do you know that the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud have made major moves recently?"
Orochimaru's words instantly brought several corresponding plot points to Kiyoshi's mind. That was the point where the Third Raikage faced ten thousand Stone ninjas.